The Devil May Cry 3 of plane games. The Metal Gear Solid (PS1) of plane games. The Mobile Suit Gundam (1979) of plane games. Don't ask me what the fuck I mean.
Peak AC, it's not even funny how much better this is than ac5
el mejor juego de mi infancia y tremenda historia digna de Goty en su época 68/10 y good
didn't think you can make one of the few vidya games working moral systems in a plane game
Classic Ace Combat: tons of heart, melodrama, and action. I really loved the presentation of this game's story as a war documentary with interviews trying to follow the player character. The missions themselves were pretty basic, and the last boss frustrating, but I loved the story's commitment to a nuanced depiction of war, and what happens before and after. The mission design and visuals won't win any awards, but the heart and soul of the game will stay with me.
Meu primeiro jogo de PS2 e que nunca terminei. Para ser honesto, não fez muito meu estilo de jogo. Mas, certamente é um jogo de bons gráficos para a época e que merece mais uma chance. Tentarei retornar e reavaliar!
In my opinion, Ace Combat Zero is the best in the franchise. While it is the shortest of the PS2 games, its unique ace style system gives it the most replayability series, surpassed only by the third game.
Zero perfected the gameplay of the past two games, each dog fight feels intense and each air-to-ground attack feels devastating. Zero also tells the best story the series has to date, not only does it explore the war the characters fight in, but those you fight agaisnt and their motive and it strives to humanize all of your opponents.
Ace Combat is famous for its soundtrack and Zero's sound track is best the series has to date, with such memorable tracks such as: Diapason, the round table, avalon, zero, and much more.
Very little does Ace Combat Zero do wrong, while there are the ocasional uninteresting missions, they are nessasary for the games pacing to move as smoothly as it does. Zero's missions also lack check points, making game overs on longer missions feeling cheaply fustrating.
Zero perfected the gameplay of the past two games, each dog fight feels intense and each air-to-ground attack feels devastating. Zero also tells the best story the series has to date, not only does it explore the war the characters fight in, but those you fight agaisnt and their motive and it strives to humanize all of your opponents.
Ace Combat is famous for its soundtrack and Zero's sound track is best the series has to date, with such memorable tracks such as: Diapason, the round table, avalon, zero, and much more.
Very little does Ace Combat Zero do wrong, while there are the ocasional uninteresting missions, they are nessasary for the games pacing to move as smoothly as it does. Zero's missions also lack check points, making game overs on longer missions feeling cheaply fustrating.
As good as Ace Combat 5 if I'm being honest. Pixy and conflict as a whole are very interesting parts of the story and the gameplay being focused on boss fights make this one a very fun time. I wish this also had a port on PS4 like 5 but oh well
Ace Combat as a series is very often themed around the horrors or war, and firmly takes an anti-war stance in the stories it tells. That message can sometimes be muddied by the fact that, in these games, war is fun. However, Ace Combat Zero is the game that, to me, truly grapples with the horrors of war, the emotions that run high as the body count rises, and the horrible decisions that can come from those pushed into a corner. It's a deeply story driven game, and one that, for many in the fandom, is the best game in the franchise.
The merits of the story, and the characterization of the protagonists and enemies is what really sells the game. Every enemy ace squadron you fight has a personality and reason to fight that gets explored through the novel storytelling method of a post-war interviewer speaking to the survivors from your missions, creating this legend around the player character that mixes mythology with fact. Arthurian legend is the main draw for a lot of the symbolism used in this game, and it is used to great effect to add gravitas and personality to seemingly mundane missions. The use of a morality system here to track your level of destruction doesn't amount to much apart from the enemy ace squadrons you fight, but it's a great piece of worldbuilding that I wish more games in the series would adopt.
The missions in ACZ are where the game falters for me. While there are some standout missions, especially the final ones, there are a lot that just end up feeling quite generic, and lacking identity. Part of the reason for this is the option to choose between multiple missions at a given moment, preferring air-to-air or air-to-ground or some other combination. While this feature is novel, it means that each of the mission choices lacks much personality, since each one doesn't advance the story in any different ways than the other choices. The overall framing of the game picks up a lot of the slack for this bland mission design, but it's a definite regression from AC5 in my eyes.
The gameplay here is standard Ace Combat, returning to the AC4 approach of less planes than AC5, but each one having more weapon options. The roster of aircraft here is still very strong though, so the loss of planes is hardly a problem. The thing that really elevates a lot of this game, however, is the soundtrack. My god the soundtrack. The series has some truly iconic music choices, but this game has such a unique sound that it stands out from the rest. When the Spanish guitar kicks in, you know shit's about to go down.
Overall, ACZ is one of the best entries in the series, and probably the one that sticks out as the most introspective about its subject matter. For that it deserves its spot as the best in the series for some. For me though, the deficiencies in mission design really hamper the game in between the major set piece moments. Still though, Ace Combat would struggle to reach this height of quality for a while, and that's why AC4, 5, and Zero are considered the Holy Trinity by the fandom. These games are truly fantastic, and you couldn't ask for a better capstone to the Trinity than Zero.
The merits of the story, and the characterization of the protagonists and enemies is what really sells the game. Every enemy ace squadron you fight has a personality and reason to fight that gets explored through the novel storytelling method of a post-war interviewer speaking to the survivors from your missions, creating this legend around the player character that mixes mythology with fact. Arthurian legend is the main draw for a lot of the symbolism used in this game, and it is used to great effect to add gravitas and personality to seemingly mundane missions. The use of a morality system here to track your level of destruction doesn't amount to much apart from the enemy ace squadrons you fight, but it's a great piece of worldbuilding that I wish more games in the series would adopt.
The missions in ACZ are where the game falters for me. While there are some standout missions, especially the final ones, there are a lot that just end up feeling quite generic, and lacking identity. Part of the reason for this is the option to choose between multiple missions at a given moment, preferring air-to-air or air-to-ground or some other combination. While this feature is novel, it means that each of the mission choices lacks much personality, since each one doesn't advance the story in any different ways than the other choices. The overall framing of the game picks up a lot of the slack for this bland mission design, but it's a definite regression from AC5 in my eyes.
The gameplay here is standard Ace Combat, returning to the AC4 approach of less planes than AC5, but each one having more weapon options. The roster of aircraft here is still very strong though, so the loss of planes is hardly a problem. The thing that really elevates a lot of this game, however, is the soundtrack. My god the soundtrack. The series has some truly iconic music choices, but this game has such a unique sound that it stands out from the rest. When the Spanish guitar kicks in, you know shit's about to go down.
Overall, ACZ is one of the best entries in the series, and probably the one that sticks out as the most introspective about its subject matter. For that it deserves its spot as the best in the series for some. For me though, the deficiencies in mission design really hamper the game in between the major set piece moments. Still though, Ace Combat would struggle to reach this height of quality for a while, and that's why AC4, 5, and Zero are considered the Holy Trinity by the fandom. These games are truly fantastic, and you couldn't ask for a better capstone to the Trinity than Zero.
I had this in my backlog for a very long time and finally decided to play it after beating Armored Core 6 for obvious reasons.
I try not to focus too much on how I score a game, but I'm really at my odds with myself here. On the one hand, Ace Combat Zero is an Ace Combat game, which means there's a high baseline of enjoyment to be had. On the other, this is the 7th AC game I've played, and if the game doesn't bring something exciting to the table, my weariness is going to set in. And truthfully, this is the first time I've felt that there's truly so little that sets this game apart from its predecessors.
This game looks like AC4 and 5, it controls like them too. One thing you can count on to be different is the story, which to me took a bit of a back seat. The cutscenes, when they happen, tend to be quite long, but missions are generally short and these scenes only show up after knocking out a few. I wasn't all that invested in the plot, nor the characters, which you really need to be for one of the late game plot twists to deliver. There are some brilliant moments; while the final level fails to deliver a groundbreaking combat experience, it is a narratively epic conclusion, enhanced by another excellent, albeit often unmemorable, soundtrack.
Now we take a quick detour to the hangar, which I've neglected to discuss in detail in any prior review. This is for the simple reason that it just works, even if each game deviates from the last somewhat. 5 had my favourite implementation, as I often hit S Ranks, I felt rewarded in that I could buy any aircraft I wanted, and any excess money could be poured into buying spares for the rest of my squad. I prefer each plane having its own distinct special weapon, as it helps to set them apart. Zero returns to the way 04 handled things, which isn't my preference but is fine. Now you can get up to 3 special weapons for each aircraft, but... everything is so expensive! Despite getting S Ranks on 16/18 missions (on hard difficulty mind you), I could barely afford to buy anything! This, combined with the fact that you unlock the SU-37 barely an hour or so into the game, meant I rigidly stuck to the same couple of planes for the entire experience. Perhaps it's a fault of me that I didn't experiment, but I didn't felt that this game was at all conducive to doing so.
"Are the missions good?" I hear you ask. To that, my answer is a resounding "I guess." While I wouldn't necessarily single out any specific mission to call bad, I don't know if I could do the opposite either. Despite having a much shorter campaign than 5, the objectives here blend together into mush. Destroy air targets, destroy ground targets, destroy air and ground targets! It's almost nothing you haven't seen before and while this would serve as a solid if not fantastic introductory Ace Combat experience, it's so utterly lacking in individuality.
The core distinction in Ace Combat Zero is the 'yellow' targets. When shooting down certain aircraft, they are sometimes neutralized instead of destroyed. They are weak, using the last ounce of power to flee the battlefield. In this scenario, you can choose to shoot them down or let them live. This extends to certain ground targets also, such as windmills or tents which don't push your mission forward, but would 'harm' the enemy. Whether or not you shoot these down affects your Ace Style, which ranges from a cruel mercenary to a noble knight. You'd expect this to have some impact on the story, but as far as I can tell, it just affects the enemy squadrons you face throughout the game. These fights are fine, but just amount to simple dogfights that I rarely found to have anything distinguishing themselves from the countless other nameless aircrafts you face. It would be generous to call the system half-baked, as I'm not even sure it was put in the oven. If I wasn't playing these games back to back, directly contrasting them against each other, I might neglect to mention it altogether!
So while Zero serves as an incredibly solid dogfighting simulation by virtue of being an Ace Combat game, I don't feel as if it did the Belkan War justice. This is an iconic precursor to the events of the entire series, yet rarely has moments that earn it that stature.
This game looks like AC4 and 5, it controls like them too. One thing you can count on to be different is the story, which to me took a bit of a back seat. The cutscenes, when they happen, tend to be quite long, but missions are generally short and these scenes only show up after knocking out a few. I wasn't all that invested in the plot, nor the characters, which you really need to be for one of the late game plot twists to deliver. There are some brilliant moments; while the final level fails to deliver a groundbreaking combat experience, it is a narratively epic conclusion, enhanced by another excellent, albeit often unmemorable, soundtrack.
Now we take a quick detour to the hangar, which I've neglected to discuss in detail in any prior review. This is for the simple reason that it just works, even if each game deviates from the last somewhat. 5 had my favourite implementation, as I often hit S Ranks, I felt rewarded in that I could buy any aircraft I wanted, and any excess money could be poured into buying spares for the rest of my squad. I prefer each plane having its own distinct special weapon, as it helps to set them apart. Zero returns to the way 04 handled things, which isn't my preference but is fine. Now you can get up to 3 special weapons for each aircraft, but... everything is so expensive! Despite getting S Ranks on 16/18 missions (on hard difficulty mind you), I could barely afford to buy anything! This, combined with the fact that you unlock the SU-37 barely an hour or so into the game, meant I rigidly stuck to the same couple of planes for the entire experience. Perhaps it's a fault of me that I didn't experiment, but I didn't felt that this game was at all conducive to doing so.
"Are the missions good?" I hear you ask. To that, my answer is a resounding "I guess." While I wouldn't necessarily single out any specific mission to call bad, I don't know if I could do the opposite either. Despite having a much shorter campaign than 5, the objectives here blend together into mush. Destroy air targets, destroy ground targets, destroy air and ground targets! It's almost nothing you haven't seen before and while this would serve as a solid if not fantastic introductory Ace Combat experience, it's so utterly lacking in individuality.
The core distinction in Ace Combat Zero is the 'yellow' targets. When shooting down certain aircraft, they are sometimes neutralized instead of destroyed. They are weak, using the last ounce of power to flee the battlefield. In this scenario, you can choose to shoot them down or let them live. This extends to certain ground targets also, such as windmills or tents which don't push your mission forward, but would 'harm' the enemy. Whether or not you shoot these down affects your Ace Style, which ranges from a cruel mercenary to a noble knight. You'd expect this to have some impact on the story, but as far as I can tell, it just affects the enemy squadrons you face throughout the game. These fights are fine, but just amount to simple dogfights that I rarely found to have anything distinguishing themselves from the countless other nameless aircrafts you face. It would be generous to call the system half-baked, as I'm not even sure it was put in the oven. If I wasn't playing these games back to back, directly contrasting them against each other, I might neglect to mention it altogether!
So while Zero serves as an incredibly solid dogfighting simulation by virtue of being an Ace Combat game, I don't feel as if it did the Belkan War justice. This is an iconic precursor to the events of the entire series, yet rarely has moments that earn it that stature.
Those who survive a long time on the battlefield thinks they're invincible.
I bet you do too, buddy.
I bet you do too, buddy.
this game takes every single flaw the franchise has up until this point and simply fix it
and not only that but it also adds new stuff that makes it even better.
great game
and not only that but it also adds new stuff that makes it even better.
great game
Bonafide masterpiece need I say more?
Flight controls are just borked and the styling of the game makes motion nauseating. Not for me.
Came into this game expecting just planes and left with tons of commentary on war and nations. Seriously crazy to me how many good characters there are in this game.
Yo, Buddy. Still alive?
Yo buddy, you still alive?
It's the peak of the PS2 era Ace Combats, and maybe the best in the series overall. Good replayability, good plot, great music, amazing battles.
The Ace Meter isn't revolutionary in terms of gaming, but it does a fair bit to help the immersion- of course the enemy would want to send their best against someone who's mercilessly cutting through their forces.
In general, it's great all around, and definitely worth it.
The Ace Meter isn't revolutionary in terms of gaming, but it does a fair bit to help the immersion- of course the enemy would want to send their best against someone who's mercilessly cutting through their forces.
In general, it's great all around, and definitely worth it.
This review contains spoilers
《 Can you see any borders from up here? What has borders given us? 》
This is the Ace Combat game that consumed me as a teenager. The absolute sickest one of the series (that I've played).
Even though this game is probably inferior to Ace Combat 5 in various aspects, the replability factor is pretty good and I played it a lot more than Ace Combat 5. I also liked the story a bit more for some reason, Solo Wing Pixy was a pretty charismatic character.
(Takes around 3 - 4 hours to complete)
This is my favorite game of the ace combat franchise and one of my top 5. Although it isn't nearly as grand as AC 5 or as good-looking as 7 it certainly makes up for it with its story.
As with others in the series, it's unconventionally told through the perspective of a documentary, the focus of which is the ace pilot Cipher. Between the cutscenes, you play as Cipher. This allows for two things: first is receiving information your character shouldn't be able to obtain and having a deeper understanding of your enemies, since the only people who truly know Cipher are his wingman and the people who fought him. This is done through a series of interviews, showcasing how the war and their battle against Cipher has affected them. You have the ability to affect what they say about you with a morality system.
Since it is a PS 2 game, the graphics are by now outdated. However, the cutscenes have been spared due to them using live-action.
Good mission pacing and solid gameplay. There are fewer planes than the previous game, and you can't choose what your wingman flies, but for me these things didn't affect my enjoyment. Somewhere where the game does improve is the AI of your wingman. Finally, it feels like you're actually part of an elite squadron rather than having to win every battle yourself. Also, it isn't that difficult. I managed to beat it entirely with one of the starter planes on the “hard” difficulty.
The soundtrack is also excellent. The flamenco guitar (Spanish guitar) makes it very original and memorable. My favourite part is "Zero".
Overall, a great game and probably the best arcade flight sim out there.
This is my favorite game of the ace combat franchise and one of my top 5. Although it isn't nearly as grand as AC 5 or as good-looking as 7 it certainly makes up for it with its story.
As with others in the series, it's unconventionally told through the perspective of a documentary, the focus of which is the ace pilot Cipher. Between the cutscenes, you play as Cipher. This allows for two things: first is receiving information your character shouldn't be able to obtain and having a deeper understanding of your enemies, since the only people who truly know Cipher are his wingman and the people who fought him. This is done through a series of interviews, showcasing how the war and their battle against Cipher has affected them. You have the ability to affect what they say about you with a morality system.
Since it is a PS 2 game, the graphics are by now outdated. However, the cutscenes have been spared due to them using live-action.
Good mission pacing and solid gameplay. There are fewer planes than the previous game, and you can't choose what your wingman flies, but for me these things didn't affect my enjoyment. Somewhere where the game does improve is the AI of your wingman. Finally, it feels like you're actually part of an elite squadron rather than having to win every battle yourself. Also, it isn't that difficult. I managed to beat it entirely with one of the starter planes on the “hard” difficulty.
The soundtrack is also excellent. The flamenco guitar (Spanish guitar) makes it very original and memorable. My favourite part is "Zero".
Overall, a great game and probably the best arcade flight sim out there.
There was a war 15 years ago.
SPANISH GUITAR INTENSIFIES
i like planes
when i say this game's controls are crack i don't just mean 'they're good' i mean i started having withdrawals over not playing this game. flight sim andys i truly understand you now
very anti war
anyway EAT THESE XMAA-ROCKETS FROM MY Su-27 YOU PUSSY
YEAAHHH
I LOVE BLOWING UP PEOPLE IN MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR PLANES
anyway EAT THESE XMAA-ROCKETS FROM MY Su-27 YOU PUSSY
YEAAHHH
I LOVE BLOWING UP PEOPLE IN MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR PLANES
yes i do watch max0r's epic ace combat "inaccurately explained" series with pure delight, "hey buddy still alive, PEPSİMANNNNN, ONLY THING I KNOW FOR REAL, WTF BOOM!, THAT'S WHAT V2 IS FOR! HAHA!", cannot wait to base my personality around the main character of the next max0r video! btw i never really played the series but i looove posting memes about it on Social Media! You wanna see my Topster about best video games of all time? (ace combat zero, metal gear rising, yakuza zero, ridge racer type 4, final fantasy xiv:shadowbringers)
Oh sons and daughters of Belka, luckily the roaring of jet engines hasn't made me so dense to not spy through your deceptions. Perhaps getting soldier ace isn't such an exciting objective for it's not associated with a platinum trophy(?), believe me I too am not a proponent of war just like them playstation 4 exclusives (pet your son now with 16 times the detail™), but I'm not one for turning the other cheek either. They say those who survive a long time on the battlefield start to think they're invincible - maybe my visions are dreamer-like or borderline schizophrenic? Whatever the case, let's make the skies tremble once more as we issue ragnarök.